on Feb 05, 2026

Takeaways from the Mayors Innovation Project: Where Democracy Meets Delivery

Last week, HR&A’s Andrea Batista Schlesinger joined mayors from across the country at the Mayors Innovation Project winter meeting—a gathering that served as both an antidote to the current moment and a reminder of the real, tangible work happening in cities across America.

 

The dual nature of cities has never been more apparent. They are simultaneously bastions of democracy—places of refuge, diversity, and innovation—and the proving grounds where leaders must deliver solutions to persistent challenges like housing affordability, climate resilience, and economic opportunity. This tension animated every conversation at the convening.

 

Safety as a Prerequisite for Governance

One theme that emerged centered on mayoral and staff safety. In an increasingly polarized political environment, threats against local officials have escalated dramatically. Mayors shared stories of security concerns that pull focus from governing and policy development. The takeaway was clear: democratic institutions can only function when leaders have adequate resources and protection to do their jobs without fear. This has implications for how we think about mayoral transitions, city administration capacity, and even the future pipeline of public servants willing to step into these roles.

 

Climate Financing is Urgent

The panel on public financing underscored an urgent need: quantifying the fiscal impact of climate change and developing innovative financing structures for resilient infrastructure. This isn’t abstract policy. It’s about keeping businesses open, protecting workforces, and preserving tax bases.

 

Mount Vernon’s flood wall exemplified this perfectly. By investing in resilient infrastructure, the city prevented downtown flooding, enabled businesses to remain operational during severe weather events, and removed areas from FEMA’s 100-year floodplain designation. That last achievement alone lowered homeownership insurance costs for residents, a tangible household benefit from smart infrastructure investment. It’s precisely the kind of multiplier effect HR&A analyzes in infrastructure financing and climate practice work.

 

Innovation at the Local Level

Perhaps most inspiring were the innovation showcases, where mayors shared new initiatives proving that local government can be genuinely innovative. From Beaverton’s nonprofit incubator building organizational capacity, to Brooklyn Park’s Community Intervention Unit successfully reducing youth violence and improving police-community relations, to Frederick’s groundbreaking municipal returnship program providing pathways back to work, these weren’t theoretical proposals. They were live programs delivering results.

 

Other highlights included Rochester partnering with the National Civic League to redesign public meetings for better accessibility and participation, Sterling finally implementing a rental inspection program after two decades by leveraging incentives rather than mandates, and Columbia deploying Community Connectors to reach residents often missed by traditional government outreach.

 

The Path Forward

What ties these initiatives together is their recognition that cities can’t wait for federal or state action. They need to build their own capacity and develop their own solutions—whether that’s municipal banks, public grocery stores, or innovative financing mechanisms.

 

At HR&A, we presented on exactly this: helping cities develop public options that create sustainable alternatives to market failures. The enthusiastic response from mayors confirmed what we’re seeing in our practice: there’s both appetite and need for bold, financially viable approaches to longstanding challenges.

 

The Mayor’s Innovation Project gathering reminded us why this work matters. Democracy isn’t preserved through rhetoric alone—it’s sustained by delivering tangible improvements in people’s lives. Cities are where that delivery happens, and mayors are the ones making it real, every single day.